Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-01-13
CHANGES IN FARMING. !:

/ CHANGES IN FARMING:
How Diasrsn. Departments Of Hasbana-
~ Naturally Succeed ksch OsAsr
Most Observers have noticed that
nearly all persons who occupy new
farms in the West commence BY de-
voting most of their energies to rails
ing the small grains They break all
the land they can. and SOW it to wheat,
oats. rye or barley. The preference is
generally given to wheat, for the res
| son that it brings the highest price in
the market Oats are q somewhat
safer crop, but the cost of sending them
to market is greater. Barley general
ly brings a good price. but. rs the grain
is likely to become discolored BY I'M
favorable weather ct the period OF
ripening. few Western farmers raise it
unless they live where the seasons are
known to be favorable at the time the
grain approaches maturity. Nest
on the continent of Europe sow
rye as they want it for use in
their families, but only a few raise it
for the market. unless they have a
considerable amount of sandy land
that will not produce paying crops of
other grains. Much larger areas of
land are sown to wheat than to other
kinds of grain. Wheat is the fashion
able crop in all the Western States and
Territories, and is the favorite with
those who have large bodies of land.
Capitalists who engage in farming pre-
fer wheat to any kind OF grain. They
have the means to purchase teams and
machinery. and BY the aid of these
they can produce wheat with q very
small amount of manual labor. Small
farmers raise wheat because 1t brings
more money, even Mt low prices. than
any crop they can produce. They need
money to pay for their land, TO erect
buildings, to build fences, to buy
stock and to make . variety of inn
provemcnts on their places. AS q rule.
they run their land 10 wheat till the
yield becomes SO small that some other
crop must be substituted for it. They
depend on wheat for getting their first
start and meeting their pressing obli-
cations.
Ordinarily corn and haxsecd are
raised with practical view of rOtting
the prairie sod so that the ground
will be in condition. to pro-
duce wheat. The former is fed to
cattle, hogs and work-hors~s. and the
latter sold for making oil. After sue
cessive crops of wheat have been taken
from the soil a large proportion of the
substances that are necessary Tor the
formation of straw and grain, the own.
er of the land sees the Necessity Of de-
voting it to other purposes. In a Sc
rles of years he raises corn and grass
as leading crops aud feeds 1ser to
hogs and cattle for the purpose Of pro-
Gucing meat for the market As 4
rule he keeps native" or grade ami
mails. as he has not the means to- pur-
. chase those of pure blood. RAISING
. meat follows the raising of grain in i
sort of natural order on most Western
farms The production of graisu for
the supply of the family is NOT neg
lecte,i. but on most farms that have
been under cultivation from ten to- fif-
teen wears most of the money iS de.
rived from the sale of fat cattle Md
hogs. As farmers have more means
they seek to tighten their labOrs, and
they find that it is easier to raise eat.
|; tie. and hogs than wheat and Other
small grains. and they accordingly
make TIE change.
. In many portions Of the Northern
States dairying succeeds meat proAuc-
raising As land becomes valuabls.7ie
owners desire to make as much Out ct
it az possible. They find that they cam
derive more money from the sais Of
milk or the butter and cheese made
from il than from the pork and baet
they can produce on their farms. They
have tine means to purchase good dairy
cows and to erect buildings for shelter
ing them. AS population increases
there IS no trouble in securing miiksrs.-
The farms are in a high state of c.,lti-
vatiOn- and great variety OF crops.
cam be raised on them. Dairying OF
an extensive scale commenced oD the
old and highly improved farms il
Central New York. and has gradually
extended westward to the Mise uri
-iveE Only in rare instances has the
business OF dairving on an extensive
ScIkt Dccn unucTidhGi III a. POi hOIi VI
the country that has recently been set
tied The introduction of the plhn OF
buvIny cream of farmers has made
milk production profitable in newly
settled portions of Iowa and Minnesota.
but az rule milk farming is tie third
stage in tie progress Of agriculture in
most parts of this country and Canada
Observation in old dairy regions
shows. however, that the production
of milk. except for the supply of large.
cities. generally gives place to some
thing else in the course OF few years.
Farmers who have made considerable.
money in dairying at lengtA become
! tired Of milking and the general care
of dairy cows. As consequence they
gradually give up dairying for thu
breeding of fine stock. In many Of
the best dairy regions of New York.
Ohio. Illinois and Southern Wisconsin
the old milk producers have sold of
their dairy stock and have engaged in
the breeding of fine cattle. horses.
sheep and pigs. The like is true in
the OLD dairy regions in Canada Men
ls